The Darkness in You Brings out the Beast in Me
by Sing-Sorrow
Summary: Murasakibara's developed a temper since he start at Yosen high. He spits, swears, and ignores those that annoy him, and would rather listen to his music than interact with other human beings. Was losing his best friend, Kise, or his middle school team what shifted his attitude? Or perhaps it was the loss of his red-haired captain, whom his young feelings for had not completely heal
1. Chapter 1

Title: The darkness in you brings out the beast in me  
Author: Sing_Sorrow / deeper-cut  
Pairings: Murasakibara X Akashi  
Ratings: PG13  
Warnings: Violence (suggested), Swearing  
Genre: Angst, Romance, High School, Drama, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort

Summary: Murasakibara's developed a temper since he start at Yosen high. He spits, swears, and ignores those that annoy him, and would rather listen to his music than interact with other human beings. Was losing his best friend, Kise, or his middle school team what shifted his attitude? Or perhaps it was the loss of his red-haired captain, whom his young feelings for had not completely healed.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story, living (or passed) human beings or fictional characters. These events never happened, according to history or as the original author intended them. This is a work of fiction and is not intended to offend. For entertainment purposes only. Thanks.

Author's Notes: I'm going out of habit for this work and posting it by chapter, so it isn't completed prior to posting. In saying this, I am trying to strengthen my writing in this piece so that the characters and the plot both don't suffer lacking detail or sense. This idea came from listening to waaaay too much music, and I just want to disclaim the lyrics (the first two lines of the song): they are from the song Cage the Beast by Adelitas Way.

As always, constructive criticism is more than welcome! Reviews are always appreciated and if you enjoyed it, feel free to drop me a comment! :) I don't bite. ;) Also, I don't write many different pairings all the time. If you have any suggestions/request, drop me a line for that too! :)

* * *

Chapter 1: The Beast Inside

The skateboarder crossed the busy intersections and flew through the streets. Long hair danced in the rushing wind like a lavender banner of a medieval army. The skateboarder cut off cars, weaved in and out of pedestrians, and elected shouts of disapproval from both; but didn't seem to bother with any. Tuned into his loud, industrial metal, Murasakibara was safe in his own mind. He continuous glanced around, making sure his way was safe, and continued on his way. The drums were on the very beat with his heart, the clashing guitars synched exactly with the very movements of his body. Leaning slightly to the left, he rounded the corner and continued on his way.

When he'd reached his destination, Murasakibara simply placed his foot on the ground and kicked the back of the board into his waiting hand. His long fingers grabbed the wheel-bar under the board and he tucked it against his side as he entered the small, crowded candy-shop. It wasn't warm or cool inside, but it shelf to shelf held an outrageous assortment of candies, chocolates, and other sweet delights. Murasakibara wasted no time in heading straight for what he was craving at the moment: the sugar-straws at the back of the store.

Grabbing a bag, he filled several of the large straws into the bag before adding a large scoop of gummy bears, sugar worms, sour keys, gummy cherries, strawberry marshmallows, and grapefruit pieces. It was only then that he pushed his headphones off his head and onto his shoulders; the music loud enough to still be heard faintly. The cashier smirked as he grabbed a handful of lollipops beside the cash till and rang up his purchase.

"Really? I thought it would be more. Oh well. That's good I guess."

Murasakibara reached in his pocket and dished out the right amount of money onto the counter. He hated having to carry around a bunch of money, so he typically used the exact amount. Besides, that way he didn't have to wait for the change.

At the door to the store, Murasakibara boarded his skateboard and was flying back the way he came: through the crowded streets, past Yosen High School, and towards home.

Yosen had brought the worst out in Murasakibara. He was no longer the high-pitched, nasally, geeky, tall-kid that he was in middle school. He had worked twice at hard in his weightlifting, deciding to make the most of his large size, and have toned himself to an image that made most athletes jealous. He grew his hair longer and sliced it with a razor, creating an intimidating style that he could choose to ignore the world with.

And it wasn't only in looks that Murasakibara had changed. During classes he felt no grief in putting his books in his bag and sleeping on his desk in the open. He also didn't feel ashamed of his height, choosing instead to stand up straight and tower over everyone. And he didn't bother to curb his attitude; instead he swore when he wanted, ignored those he wasn't interested in hearing from, and formed a new habit of spitting on the ground whenever he felt disgusted.

Since he had gotten home from school previously, he had changed into his favourite outfit: brown work overalls that wouldn't reach over his shoulders which he wore as pants, with a extra-large, black t-shirt; baggy and ripped in one sleeve, with a red design of his comic-hero, Thor, on the front. It was at Yosen he also had started wearing a thin line of black coal under his narrow eyes.

He pulled his headphones up and was sneering as he went on his way, chewing on a sugar-straw at ease. He flashed by streets and down lanes; chasing cars as he crossed the busy street, weaving in and out of traffic. Where the foot-traffic became heaviest at the train station, Murasakibara was forced to travel by foot. Although, having the longest legs, he knew he would cross the area quite fast. He paid no heed to where he was headed or his surroundings; instead listening to his music and rushing with the tempo. It was then, charging forwards with board in hand and a bag full of sweets in the other, he ran straight into another person.

"Watch where you're go-"

His rude greeting was cut short when his eyes met those of his former basketball Captain, Akashi Seijuro. Standing at five foot eight, with his trademark flaming red hair, his ex-captain hadn't appeared to have changed at all in attitude. His body was slender, but well built, and his posture was straight and confident. He wore white, skin-tight jeans, a red button-up shirt, and a small, black blazer, with black, studded, ankle-boots. In his hand he carried a black, leather bag. Murasakibara's words died on his tongue as he drank him in.

"I think it was you, Atsushi, who walked into me."

Murasakibara had no words. He'd hang his head, but that only gave the shorter man the advantage.

"I won't keep you. Good day."

Akashi averted his eyes and turned to move around his old Center, acting as he said he would at their last meeting in Teiko Middle School's gymnasium.

"Aka-chin. Wait."

Murasakibara pushed back his headphones and reached out to Akashi, catching his shoulder.

"What, what are you doing here?"

Akashi stared into Atsushi's bright eyes, and licked his dry lips as he considered his words.

"I am here on business."

"In Akita?"

"Yes. In Akita."

"Why, why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not as if we're exactly friends, Atsushi."

The bland words cut deep and tore open old scabs in Murasakibara's heart. It seemed so long ago that he had asked his captain out for dinner after one of their victories as a visiting school. Though the relationship was one they both agreed to take slow and ended in a mutual agreement, a part of Murasakibara blamed Akashi for their split. As well, several members of his family blamed Akashi for his attitude. Still, Akashi's words pulled at feelings from both his romance and his teammate.

"I just thought, you know, since we were on the team together that you might have thought we could hang out. Catch up, you know?"

Akashi nodded slowly, following his words.

"I wouldn't think to hang out during a business trip, Atsushi. And not with anyone that isn't on my current team."

Atsushi spat out of habit. Anger rolled over his body in waves and fought to keep his arms from shaking. He didn't take things weren't from fate, so meeting Akashi was no chance in his books. And he wasn't ready to lose his attention now.

"Well, I thought of it." he pushed roughly. "So would you like to?"

Akashi raised an eyebrow at this new boldness in his center. He had dealt with attitude from his Miracles before; especially their ace, Aomine Daiki, but he hadn't received such forward words in some time. His members at Rakuzan were at their best to obey him every time.

"I don't see the harm in it."

"Great. You have my number?"

"Somewhere."

The faint blush on the point guard's cheeks told Murasakibara otherwise. He switched his skateboard to the hand holding the bag of sweets and held it out for Akashi's phone.

"Lemme sync it."

Akashi pulled his sleek, new phone out and handed it to Murasakibara after unlocking it.

Murasakibara glanced it over before punching in his name and number with his thumb.

"Nice." he commented at the latest model.

Akashi smiled at the remark, a forced business smile, and took the phone back with as little contact with Atsushi as possible.

"I'll call you tonight." Murasakibara flashed a rare smile. "And you'd better answer."

Sighting a parting in the crowd, Murasakibara threw his board to the ground and sped off; feeling a slight satisfaction in leaving his former captain breathless and behind him. He repeated the number he took off the phone in his mind until it was etched in, and Akashi was in no surprise when he stared at his own number displaying on his screen.

"Where did you speed off to so quickly?"

Murasakibara stopped at the gate door in front of his yard. His older brother was leaning on it, evidently waiting for Mukkun.

"I had a fix." he held up his bag.

"Did you get any of those gummy rings?"

"Naw, I wanted the sugar straws."

"Darnit."

"I waited for you."

"Did you?! I came as soon as I could, but mom said you left already."

"Then you weren't quick enough."

"Not my fault."

"Let me through."

The pair of brothers walked up the drive and into their cozy house. It had become familiar to Mukkun, and he hadn't felt a slight difference in districts either. The house was small; with a small sitting room for their rather large family to gather together, and enough bedrooms for them to pair up in. But it was their own little nest, and nothing felt better than being home after an exhausting day; especially when there was a hot meal being cooked.

"So are you gonna share?" his brother teased him.

Murasakibara's eyes narrowed and he pulled the bag out of reach, glaring at his brother for taking the sweets he paid for with his own allowance. A sudden thought of Akashi; with his cold, sad eyes, and small, lonely stance, made Murasakibara reconsider. Before he could respond, he moved the bag back and held it open for his elder.

His brother was too shocked to even take a candy. He stared at Murasakibara, looking up to him slightly and brushed his hair back off his face.

"A-are you sure?"

Murasakibara only nodded. "Before I change my mind." he added.

His brother grinned and took a gummy worm. "Thank you, Murasakibara!"

Murasakibara pulled him back by the neck of his shirt.

"And don't you go letting everyone here know I'm giving off candy. I'll have none left for myself."

"I know the feeling." his brother replied, patting his back. "I've got your back.

Despite indulging in candy during a small soccer match with the twins in the back yard, Mukkun ate two platefuls of the cream stew his mother had prepared. It was almost evening, and he kept glancing at the clock while he debated when would be too early to call Akashi.

'I want him to wait.' he thought to himself. 'I want him to feel my agony.'

He did all the dishes, washing them slowly and carefully and put them away after one of the twins helped dry them. He then trudged up the stairs to his room, carrying with him his school bag, skateboard, and shoes. His brother was already inside, lying across his whole bed on his half of the room.

"Get out." Mukkun greeted him.

"Wh-what?"

His brother pulled out a earphone.

"I said, get out!"

"What for?"

Mukkun rolled his eyes. "I need to call a friend."

"How long?"

"I dunno."

"Text me when I can come back in."

"And don't you dare-"

"Tell anyone. Yeah, yeah. I know."

His brother took his leave quietly. Murasakibara hesitated. He did say he would call. But would he feel better standing Akashi up, making him wait for a call that wouldn't come. A smirk grew on his lips but a sinking feeling hit him in the stomach.

"Aka-chin would _never_ do that to me, even if he didn't tell me he was coming to Akita."

He pulled out his cell phone, a simple gadget compare to Akashi's device, and punched in the number he all but burned into his brain. He stared at the little green icon until tears blurred his vision, and he sat on his bed with his shoulders slumped for a moment.

He wouldn't cry over the past. He couldn't let the thought of what happened interfere with what the future held. He pulled back a growl, sucked in his breath, and lifted his head. He forced the tears to stop and held his gaze upwards until he was sure they wouldn't betray him on the phone. He pulled his hair into a ponytail, closed his eyes, and hit the little green button.

The phone rang.

And rang.

On the third ring, it clicked on.

"Good evening, you've reached Akashi Seijuro."

'Professional, huh?'

"Greetings, Captain!"

"Atsushi."

A pause.

"I am not your captain any longer."

"You will always be captain to me."

An awkward silence dawned and Murasakibara cleared his throat.

"So how long are you staying in Akita?"

"Three days."

"Where?"

"A hotel on one of the main roads."

"Do you wanna hang out tomorrow?"

"When?"

"Around ten."

"Wouldn't you be in school."

"Not if I don't wanna be."

Akashi rolled his eyes on the other end of the call, but the gesture went unseen.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea."

"Well, I take it you aren't busy at that time."

"Well, no. Not exactly."

"So, where do I meet you?"

"Atsushi."

"Yes, captain?"

"This isn't about us, is it?"

"You say it like it's a bad thing."

"I don't want you getting the wrong idea about this."

"I think you're the only one thinking that way, captain."

Murasakibara's heart would have dropped some of the guard it developed to see the blush on Akashi's cheeks. Seijuro thanked himself that it was a call over the phone that he had voiced his some of his concern for their hangout.

"Alright. So I'll meet you then." he quickly agreed, hoping his voice wouldn't waver.

"Text me where."

Mukkun hung up without waiting for a goodbye. He was shivering, his hands were shaking, and he felt like punching a hole in the wall again.

"You can come up now!" he shouted to his brother.

In seconds he was joined by his brother in their room.

"You could've just said so." he chuckled nervously. "The twins nearly had a heart attack."

"I live here, don't I?" he murmured, icily.

"Why don't you tell me what's up?"

Murasakibara glared at him. He pushed his overalls off his legs and off the bed, and rolled over with his back against his sibling.

"Fuck off."


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The darkness in you brings out the beast in me  
Author: Sing_Sorrow / deeper-cut  
Pairings: Murasakibara X Akashi  
Characters: Murasakibara Atsushi, Akashi, Seijuro, Kise Ryouta  
Ratings: PG13  
Warnings: Violence (suggested), Swearing  
Genre: Angst, Romance, High School, Drama, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort,

Summary: Murasakibara's developed a temper since he start at Yosen high. He spits, swears, and ignores those that annoy him, and would rather listen to his music than interact with other human beings. Was losing his best friend, Kise, or his middle school team what shifted his attitude? Or perhaps it was the loss of his red-haired captain, whom his young feelings for had not completely healed.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story, living (or passed) human beings or fictional characters. These events never happened, according to history or as the original author intended them. This is a work of fiction and is not intended to offend. For entertainment purposes only. Thanks.

Author's Notes: Here's chapter two. As of now I have no skeleton to work from, but I plan to create one soon. Just a bit of suspense to drench everything in and hopefully there will be more to the story in the future chapters. :) As well, I wanted to keep this work rated PG13 but I am thinking of changing the rating to something at least around PG16 or even R; just giving a fair heads up. However, each chapter will be individually rated.

As always, constructive criticism is more than welcome! Reviews are always appreciated and if you enjoyed it, feel free to drop me a comment! :) I don't bite. ;) Also, I don't write many different pairings all the time. If you have any suggestions/request, drop me a line for that too! :)

* * *

Chapter 2: Knowing your own Darkness

It was still dark out when Murasakibara's eyes slipped open. He sat up in bed and stretched, flexing the muscles in his upper back. On any typical day, a man the size of Murasakibara would indulge in a heavy slumber, barely disturbed by any noise or light. But this wasn't a typical day. Atsushi could already feel something different was about to charge into the course of his routine life.

He didn't want to listen to the sound of his sibling snoring until the time to rise came. And he couldn't do much upstairs without waking anyone else up. Pulling his trousers up from the floor, Murasakibara made his way silently out of the room, down the stairs, and into the basement.

Used mainly for storage, the Atsushi's basement was a warehouse of boxes and tools. Atsushi began digging in his corner; not knowing exactly what he was looking for, but looking all the same. He tossed down a box containing Christmas decorations, and another that held their artificial tree, before finally coming to the one he wanted. It was one he didn't unpack from the move and had sent straight into the basement without so much as a backwards glance. It held all his school memories, from primary to Teiko.

Looking around, Atsushi found a sturdy looking table that he could use as a seat. He dropped the box beside him and began fishing around, pausing to tuck his violet hair behind his ear. His mind sidetracked to his eldest brother's appearance: dark purple hair, midnight eyes. He stood at seven foot two, and was in his final year at university. He differed from the rest of the Atsushi's, growing cold and isolated as he matured; his body turning darker, bigger. Murasakibara wondered vaguely if he would develop in his footsteps. After all, he wouldn't mind being seven feet now.

The box contained few items, but the first that came to hand was his old jersey. He had played numbers twelve and five at Teiko, and was the tallest at their school. Still, the jersey seemed small to him now, and he simply brushed it aside. Underneath the material was a book his sister had put together. It held pages from his yearbooks and newspaper clippings, all about "_The Generation of Miracles"_. He thumbed through the pages carefully, not wanting to tear anything. Though his heart felt like a dead weight in his chest, hollowly beating just to keep him alive, he felt a small thrill at the touch of the book.

"Kise-chin."

He read the signed page by his model-friend. The blonde had never been afraid to speak with him, even when he had gym classes with the titan. He smirked and vaguely wondered what Kise-chin was up to now: he hadn't written back to him in some time. He still picked up his magazine from time to time, but Kise had been correct in saying he would be laying the modeling off for some time to devote to his sports. Without thinking about the time, Murasakibara lifted his phone and punched in a greeting to Kise. He sent it off and put the phone back in his pocket.

Returning his attention to the book, a clipping Murasakibara had forgotten about stared back up at him. It was a large clipping, with a fairly big picture of Aka-chin turning away from the camera. The article was headed _"Miracle Generation Planning to Split?"_ Murasakibara's fingers shook as he stared at the black and white picture. Despite the saturation, he could still picture the vivid red of Akashi's hair, his eye. He snapped the book closed and threw it harder than he meant to back into the box.

He heard the floorboards creak upstairs and pressed himself into the shadows. He didn't want to cause a scene this early. He had already caused more than enough trouble dancing on the tables in the cafeteria at school and smart-mouthing his teachers since he had started at Yosen. His family didn't need to discover him becoming a bat in the night in their basement as well. The creaking stopped and he let out his breath. He knew that they would be at their wits end if they had found him, but he worried about how he'd react to their words. Everything they said to him recently seemed to trigger a burning rage in him that only violence or extreme exhaustion could cure. In his heart, Murasakibara felt it was only a matter of time before he did something he would live to regret.

It was late. There was no reason for him to be down here, prowling about like a burglar in his own home; looking for some timeless treasure that was sure to elude him. He went to close the box when something deep inside caught his attention. He reached inside and pulled the figurine out. It was made as a class project, inspired by the flame of his heart: the king of the chess board, standing six inches tall and made of a stumpy tree branch from the old district. He dug deeper in the box, fishing out the other pieces of the board. He had made two full sets, but there was no distinction between them. He had won the prize for the figurine section in the art competition his teacher had lodged them in, but he never cared much for them. His mouth pulled into a cruel smile and he wrapped his fingers around the king. Fate had opened a door for him.

He dressed for school and got his bag ready, stashing his change of day clothes and bag filled with candies and food under his bed sheets. He'd have to pretend to head off to Yosen, but he would double back and sneak in to change when everyone else had left. It was a waste of energy, he thought as he spat on the walk to school, but it was well worth the day's adventure. He turned his music up, letting it surround his mind and sooth him into its trance of melodic riffs and alluring tempos, as he sped down the streets on his board. As he distanced himself from home, he slowed his pace and lowered the volume of his music. There was a row of vending machines and park benches after the next corner, and he planned to use that area as his turn-around point.

Approaching one machine that dispensed chips, Atsushi fished out the several coins required and nonchalantly gathered his many flavors in his arms. He sat on a bench, with his feet on the seat and his rear on the backrest, and began indulging in his treats. Several passing bystanders stared at him displaying his rebellious behaviour but none ventured to lecture him outright as he'd seen happen to smaller statured rebels. In the time he finished his chips the bell for class would ring, his parents would both starting their shifts at work, and his brothers and sister would be at their respected training grounds. He chewed slowly, letting his teeth sink into the crisp of the chip and feel as his saliva turned the once brittle matter to mush. With them all out of the house, it would only be a small matter of time before he would join his previous captain for whatever the day presented him. But he wasn't thinking about what the day would shape itself to be, or about the amount of trouble he potentially would be in if he was caught. His mind was on Akashi.

He admitted to himself that he wasn't the most attractive male in his generation at Teiko Middle School. With his chin-length, lavender hair, he had seemed more of a cute puppy than a possible suitor. His tall stature kept him from forming much muscle definition and his voice hadn't dropped despite hitting puberty. Alongside, he didn't have much assets: there wasn't much skill or material he could offer, and he wasn't intellectual by nature in conversation. All of this held him back from getting closer to Aka-chin, whose idea of a relationship included looks, interest, and material his sister summed up as "from the dark side". However, Atsushi didn't suffer too badly. He did have height, style, and attitude. And today was going to be different: if he simply wasn't good enough for Akashi, he would make sure in another way that he was gain his attention. Akashi hadn't appreciated him for his respect of the team and dedication in middle school. He hadn't chided him for his habits, nor did he respect him for his qualities. The lack of acknowledgement drove Atsushi insane at times.

True to his fiery nature, Akashi not only quick to anger, but also quick to grow bored as well. He displayed it seductively in his professional manner; sighing, rolling his eyes, even going to the point of brushing back his hair and looking skywards before informing you how utterly boring he found your company. Atsushi had seen so many faces displaying crushed emotions and stunned expressions while he shadowed his captain. It was only a vague, misty thought that the same would happen to him one day. But he was positive that he would have an advantage the others hadn't; that he would be able to silence Akashi for long enough to reason with him. But Akashi was not one to reason.

Atsushi crumpled his chip bags in his hands until they stuck into an object similar to a ball. He stood up on the bench and fired a shot that landed perfectly in the garbage can across the street before he began heading homewards. He didn't even notice the small amounts of pedestrians that applauded his shot, shocked from the length of it. Akashi was too much to think about, let alone why he rejected him.

Atsushi hurried inside and kicked off his shoes. He was quiet as he raced up the stairs and into his bedroom; charging to the bed and switching his clothes with ones less notable for their location and timing. Afterwards, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and grabbed a handful of cookies from the kitchen, before heading out the door again. Nothing seemed unordinary, and if any of his family went home, they would only assume he ran off to the candy store afterschool again.

He was a block from his house when the text arrived.

'Don't come. It's not a good day.'

Atsushi spat and hit his hand against a telephone pole.

"Fuck!"

Standing in the middle of the street, having already ditched school, Murasakibara was caught like a fly in a spider's web. He wasn't ready to go back to school, but he wasn't prepared to be so easily left alone. Shoving the phone in his pocket, Atsushi smirked.

"Ready or not, Aka-chin. Here I come."

The hotel clerk's eyes were filled with fright as he looked up at the man who requested the room Seijuro was in. He was told by phone earlier that day to not allow anyone up, but he felt to fulfill those orders meant trouble. Instead he handed over a slip of paper with a room number on it with trembling hands.

"I'm not allowed to give you a key, sir. But I'm sure Mr. Seijuro-"

Atsushi smirked and gave a single chuckle. "I'm sure Mr. Seijuro will be surprised to see me."

The elevators were crowded with business men and women coming and going. Murasakibara stuck his hand between closing doors but lifted an eyebrow when a small crowd of people pressed further against the already cramped cubicle. He didn't linger, not understanding whether they were scared to have him ride the elevator with them for fear of it being overcrowded or simply because of him. Instead he pushed open the door to the stairwell and ascended to the fourteenth floor.

"Nothing lesser for Seijuro." he muttered, pushing open the door to the lavish hallway.

He walked towards the north wing and soon found the door, number fourteen oh four. Smirking at the play on numbers, he lifted a hand and knocked.

"Aka-chin? I know you're in there, now open up."

Akashi, standing just inside the little kitchen space off from the door, paused in lifting a glass of milk to his lips. Atsushi's new attitude certainly was something of a new interest to him. His lips curved into a sly smile, his silky red housecoat sashaying open about his ankles as he turned, and flipped the lock of the door with a face set as a perfect mask. His large eyes were drenched with fright, but Murasakibara had known that look to mean a dominant assault of seduction was long due, and his mouth was set in a firm pout.

"Aka-chin."

Atsushi simply forced the door open wider and slid through. He wasn't going to wait and make the same mistake of being too simple for Akashi Seijuro's tastes again.

"Atsushi."

Murasakibara looked down at Akashi, his violet hair curling at the ends and his eyes tired through his makeup.

"What are you doing here? I told you not to come."

"We made plans, Aka-chin. It isn't right to just ditch those plans."

Akashi stared at Murasakibara, his innocent eyes turning acidic. He glared and turned away, pushing the door closed and sliding the lock into place with the flick of his wrist.

"Disobedient as always." he muttered, entering the kitchen and raising the glass of milk to his lips once more.

Atsushi simply lifted the glass out of Akashi's reach and sipped the milk himself.

"Atsushi!" Akashi hissed.

"Hmm?"

Akashi felt a sudden urge to scream. It wasn't that he couldn't foresee Atsushi's behaviour, he simply couldn't stand to work against it. It frustrated him how irritating Atsushi was being, and he knew it was on purpose.

"What happened to you, Atsushi?"

"Hmm? What do you mean, Aka-chin?"

Akashi simply poured himself another glass of milk and took his time to order his words before responding. The image of Atsushi standing before him battled against the soft purple puppy he had trained at Teiko. He had indeed heard from some teammates how Atsushi had developed, but he didn't imagine to be treated with such a bold attititude.

"You used to be so well behaved."

"Ahh." Atsushi cut him off, unable to resist the moment. "So you actually noticed that."

Akashi rolled his eyes and shook his silky sleeves back from his hands, sipping his milk and leaning against the counter to display his fine, lithe body. Atsushi drank in the image acceptingly, but steeled himself from the memories.

"I did noticed you in Teiko. It wasn't as if you weren't there. Besides, you're so _big_ it would be impossible not to."

"You noticed your Miracles, I'll give you that." Atsushi spat back, turning his face to hide his revolt.

Akashi had never made Atsushi angry before. In the past it was out of comradeship that they had spent time together. They had only begun to quarrel after their relationship began to fall apart, and Murasakibara felt that it was stupid for them to continue arguing after they decided to remain friends. He didn't imagine that he would be arguing with Akashi in Akita, let alone feeling fevered and ill-tempered because of him. He wanted to see something smash into a million little pieces, but he knew all too well that it wasn't the answer.

There were moments were Teiko memories would make Atsushi feel sick, sick to his stomach. He closed his eyes and held his head up, trying to fight off the urge to vomit on Akashi's hotel floor. Watching that figure dress and undress, command with the fierceness of a general on the battlefield, and turn into a fiery lover were all parts of life Atsushi viewed as his curse. Why couldn't Akashi have dated Daiki and been done with it? He could have just told himself that Akashi wasn't interested then, and forced himself to move on.

"Does it bother you, Atsushi? That I really didn't care."

"Do you have to make it so obvious?" Atsushi spoke through gritted teeth.

A single beep interrupted their conversation. Murasakibara checked his phone to discover Kise-chin had responded to his text. The screen seemed to glow with a radiance only Kise could produce, and the text displayed on the screen was animated with faces scattered throughout the message.

'Good morning indeed, Murasakici! How have you been doing? I'm in history class this period. It is very boring.'

Atsushi smirked and punched in a reply. He didn't want Kise to know he had skipped out, so he responded with a casual lie that he felt wouldn't hurt their friendship, before tucking the phone away again.

Akashi made no attempt to question the phone. He simply stared at Atsushi from across the room, his mismatched eyes burning with laughter.

"You don't mean to tell me that you still are in contact with the Miracles?" he sneered.

"You don't mean to tell me that you aren't."

Akashi scowled and pushed himself away from the counter, seductively walking towards the table between himself and Murasakibara. He palmed something in his hand, taking it out of the pocket of his robe. He smirked, touching a forefinger to the corner of his mouth and looking up through his eyelashes. His game was just about ready to begin.

"I have my ways to contact each and every one of you."

He placed a six inch figurine of the king of the chessboard down on the corner of the table and took a delighted step back, his bangs falling and covering his smoldering eyes.

"Don't you worry, Atsushi."


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The darkness in you brings out the beast in me  
Author: Sing_Sorrow / deeper-cut  
Pairings: Murasakibara X Akashi  
Characters: Murasakibara Atsushi, Akashi, Seijuro, Kise Ryouta, Murasakibara's brothers (OCs)  
Ratings: PG13  
Warnings: Violence, Swearing  
Genre: Angst, Romance, High School, Drama, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort,

Summary: Murasakibara's developed a temper since he start at Yosen high. He spits, swears, and ignores those that annoy him, and would rather listen to his music than interact with other human beings. Was losing his best friend, Kise, or his middle school team what shifted his attitude? Or perhaps it was the loss of his red-haired captain, whom his young feelings for had not completely healed.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story, living (or passed) human beings or fictional characters. These events never happened, according to history or as the original author intended them. This is a work of fiction and is not intended to offend. For entertainment purposes only. Thanks.

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the long wait for an update. Summer months off, eh? And I took the time for a skeleton, as always. I'm excited to write this one, though I took a break to write a short Kuroshitsiju piece (titled: Love Story) Anyways, uh, update on the warnings: violence is no longer hinted at, big surprise there (sarcasm) :P and in future there will be OC's. My OC's are created strictly for the story; I do not use them to role play.

As always, constructive criticism is more than welcome! Reviews are always appreciated and if you enjoyed it, feel free to drop me a comment! :) I don't bite. ;) Also, I don't write many different pairings all the time. If you have any suggestions/request, drop me a line for that too! :)

* * *

Chapter 3:

The chess piece glared up at Atsushi from its throne on the table. Atsushi felt the sweat breaking out on his forehead dewing, and ran a hand through his hair to force himself to calm down. He looked away, turning and pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers and sucking in deep breaths. He was close to losing all control now, and he knew he would find himself unforgivable to lose his temper against Akashi. A part of him, a part he didn't want to acknowledge, still cared for the smaller boy. Instead, Atsushi gritted his teeth until he was sure he wasn't going to do something he'd regret, and forced himself to keep breathing.

Akashi watched him. With Atsushi's back turned, Akashi felt safe in letting his eyes wander over Atsushi's back, his arms. His hair had grown longer than he remembered, his overall body had grown almost twice in width with the muscles he had built, and he held himself up to full height, rather than slouch down as he once did. Akashi licked his lips, appreciating the newer body Atsushi had developed. A part of Akashi wanted to tie that body down and make sure it would know that it was never free to do as it pleased.

Akashi shook his head at the thought and rolled his eyes at himself. It was a shame he was finding these feelings now, rather than before, when they were both at Teiko. Perhaps his younger self didn't mature as fast as the other boys, and his prepubescent self hadn't realized what exactly the others meant when all the dating nonsense had started. Still, Akashi felt out of the loop, and fraction of his brain blamed his high social class for being uneducated in the lower, more common social cues that seemed t spring up around him.

Atsushi bit down until he felt his teeth ache with the effort. He sighed and opened his eyes; green circles popping out of the darkness as his eyes adjusted to the light of the hotel. He took in his settings once more, gathering his bearings so he wouldn't be so lost when he turned back to Akashi.

With Atsushi's back to him, Akashi felt unsure if the giant was sobbing or suppressing his anger. He held back, wanting to reach out to him, but unsure if there would be any physical consequences if he did. He couldn't return to his father in less than perfect condition, and his measurements on Atsushi allowed him a good insight as to how long any bruises would last, if he would be lucky enough to walk away with just those. He pressed his lips into a hard line, not wanting to allow his concern to leak through his carefully composed mask, and waited. Perhaps, he found himself wondering, he had crossed the line with the chess piece and scared Atsushi entirely.

But he didn't have to wait much longer; Murasakibara turned to face Akashi, his hands dropping from his face and his hair falling from between his fingers. Akashi felt his spine straighten, a sudden flash of the unknown affecting his perfect posture, and his eyes widened in mild surprise to see the intensity of the glare that Murasakibara shot at him.

"Can I use your washroom?"

Murasakibara had a hard time spitting the words out coherently.

Akashi nodded, pointing to the hallway behind Murasakibara and watching as the tall man made his way to the right room.

Murasakibara closed the door behind himself and turned to face the mirror. His eyes were dark, cold, and acidic. He scrunched his eyes shut and let the tears flow freely. He wanted nothing more than to shatter the broken image that was his reflection, but he wondered how Akashi would react to losing his mirror. He held his hair up in his hands, pulling it all from his face, and suppressed the loud, hiccoughing sobs that built up in his throat. He pulled his hair, tugging it back, so he could force himself to repress the violence, and grit his teeth in pain. He knew he couldn't hide in Seijuro's bathroom for much longer; he pulled a hair tie from around his wrist and secured his ponytail, before pushing back the faucet of the sink and beginning to splash the cold water on his face.

He was careful not the rub his eyes, fearing his eyeliner would run, but the water felt cool against his skin and fought back against the fever. He rubbed his fingers along his hairline and against his temples, cleaning the sweat from his brow. He made sure he wasn't fevered anymore, before patting the towel on the bar against his face and hands. He pulled the tie from his hair and brushed his fingers through it, before pulling it back again to fasten the tie around it neatly. Several strands fought against the tie and fell in his face, and he was thankful that he wouldn't feel as naked in front of Akashi as he might have without them. He sighed, feeling more ashamed of his loss of control, and began to unlock the door.

When the bathroom door clicked shut, Akashi found himself sinking into a chair at the table.

The glare was frozen in his mind and appeared in his mind as if he had taken a digital photograph of it whenever he closed his eyes. He pressed his palms against his ears, forcing himself to keep his eyes wide open, trying to dispel the image from his mind. It surprised him just how strong concentrated Atsushi's glare had been. His violet eyes had turned as hard and cold as an amethyst. He hadn't bothered to hide the pure hatred in them.

Akashi shuddered. Hatred was the only word he could use to describe the look he had seen in Atsushi's eyes.

The door jerked open and Akashi jump up, kicking the chair into the table with more force than necessary. It made a bang and Atsushi jumped as he walked through the bathroom door. He forced himself to remain in the anxious calm he had created out of his misery and came to stand before Akashi, across the table from him as before.

"I, uhh, brought the rest of those pieces, if you...you know, would like to play?" he nodded towards the piece gloating at him on the table.

Akashi nodded, his voice still lost from the heat of Atsushi's anger. It had been a while since he had played a game against anyone other than himself, the boys at Rakuzan high never bothered to challenge him after the first week, and he felt the sudden isolation pressing against him the moment Atsushi had offered him a game against another human.

"S-sure. That sounds like...fun."

Atsushi retrieved the pieces from his bag and they set them in order on the board. The one-coloured sets were now set apart by the blood red paint that had coated one team. The other had been painted an ivory, just as the king Akashi had placed down before. Atsushi shivered involuntarily as he placed the complete set on the board, recalling how he had just painted the figures this morning. He was frightened, he admitted, by the sudden appearance of one from Akashi's pocket, since he had made sure he had all of them in his bag at seven this morning.

Akashi raised an eyebrow at the red set but said nothing. They began and Akashi wanted to laugh when he saw Atsushi's face crumple up in concentration. He had made thirty-two plays when Akashi had struck him with checkmate. The entire match had occurred in silence.

"Again." Atsushi murmured.

Akashi rolled his eyes and they reset the board. This time Atsushi only took twenty-nine turns before his king fell. He pouted and began to reset the board.

"Once more."

Akashi smirked.

"Do you really enjoy being beaten that much?"

"Does it bother you?"

Akashi stared, unsure of what the question was. As he was playing the white set, he made the first move. When Atsushi had played, moving a pawn in front of his knight, he settled for asking for clarification.

"Does your enjoyment of punishment bother me?"

"No. Does me challenging you repeatedly bother you?"

"Oh."

Akashi smiled, unsure of whether he could tell the truth in this situation. He figured it wouldn't hurt, but at the same time, he didn't want to sound dependent.

"It doesn't bother me. It doesn't make me feel any gratitude either."

Atsushi bit his lip and feigned concentration. He knew there was no hope in the idea of beating Akashi, but if it was something Akashi was willing to do besides argue with him, he was willing to make the most of it.

"I'm probably nowhere near as good as Mido-chin was, eh?"

Akashi smiled.

"No," he confirmed. "You're not."

Atsushi smiled.

"I try though."

The next two turns passed in silence, before Akashi blushed.

"Thank you." he murmured.

The blush had brought a different feeling out in Atsushi. He felt victorious, lighter, freer. It didn't matter if Akashi didn't say it out loud, but he knew that the effort he invested in the chess games were worth it. Akashi had thanked him, but the blush, the blush revealed there was more to the thanks than the simplicity of the words. There was feeling behind them. Atsushi felt his spirit soar out of his body, his head grew light. He was thankful that he hadn't lost his temper, and as soon as the words were past Akashi's lips, he wasn't even sure why he had gotten so upset in the first place.

But he fought back from becoming the euphoric puppy that Akashi hadn't been pleased with. He simply reached out and covered Akashi's entire hand with his own, and held it pinned against the table. After being so bold, he eyed the board for a worthy distraction. He noticed a knight Akashi had left out and seized it, taking it off the board with his other hand.

And it worked. Akashi left his hand where it was, held hostage under Atsushi's, and moved his rook to seize the bishop that Atsushi had now left open.

The game continued and seventy-four plays later, Atsushi was beat. Despite his previously poor games, he had been a better challenger this round. Akashi smiled. Atsushi had potential, but he was still a baby. It was going to take more than a single distraction to beat the emperor at a game of chess.

Akashi rose as Atsushi set up the board again and entered the kitchen. He brought with him a plate of cheese sandwiches and two tall glasses of apple juice. He returned and brought with him a small bowl of tofu soup, which Atsushi smirked at. They moved the board aside and began eating in silence.

"Tell me about Rakuzan." Atsushi found himself asking.

"What is there you want to know?"

"Oh, just anything. You don't have to talk about your team. Tell me about your classes."

Akashi seemed to relax. He didn't want to be pumped of information on his new team; talking tactics with the enemy was never something he was fond of. And now Atsushi was his enemy, considering he was attending Yosen high.

"Classes are boring actually. I don't find that much of a difference between..." he hesitated, not wanting to pull the conversation to compare his two schools. "-any of them." he finished quickly.

"Ahh." Murasakibara felt compelled to say something, and he settle for a non-bias answer. He waited as Akashi chewed and swallowed before prying for more.

"How are your classmates? And teachers? Did you have any field trips yet?"

Akashi held up a hand to stop him. "One at a time." he chuckled.

"Well," he began. "My classmates are all very boring for the most part. They don't associate with me much, despite all having similar families. My teachers don't interact have much of a personality, except for my history professor: he's rather animated and I spend many lunch hours with him in the library to pass time. I am probably the closest with Reo Mibuchi, but he's older than me."

Akashi pulled a face before he brightened with the next bit of information.

"He's also my shooting guard. There haven't been any out-trips yet, but I heard that my physics class might go to the university soon. And I'm also student council president."

Atsushi smiled and nodded, taking all the information in. He was still smiling and nodding when Akashi had finished.

"Tell me more." he begged.

"No. I've done all the talking. Now it's your turn. How's Yosen?"

Atsushi rolled his eyes. "That's no fair, Aka-chin."

Akashi smiled. It was odd whenever Atsushi slipped back into his older self around him. It reminded him that this arrogant, irritable, sexy man was once his teammate, friend, and something more.

"Fine." Akashi snapped. He enjoyed toying with this new Murasakibara.

He reached out and cleared the empty dishes from the table, placing them in the sink. They had eaten a late lunch, and their time together was slowly crawling to a close. Atsushi looked at the clocked and cursed under his breath. He didn't want Akashi to hear his string of profanities, so instead he bit his tongue to keep back from educating Mr. Seijuro's son.

He pulled the chess board back into the center of the table, turning it so he played white, and pushed a pawn forward. He didn't what else would captivate Akashi's interest, and so he pushed him to play, savoring the moment with his ex.

Akashi picked up a knight. He held it up and rotated it, watching as the light changed the shadows on the figurine, and then looked past it to Atsushi.

"These are the pieces you made in class, right?"

Atsushi smiled sheepishly, proud that Akashi remembered. He nodded, emotionally choked up to find his voice.

"Y-yes."

"And the district prize to if I'm correct?"

"Yep."

Akashi place the figure down on an appropriate square.

"They weren't painted before though." He paused. "I'm just curious, but why the red? Isn't chess traditionally black and white?"

Atsushi moved a bishop forward, taking the opportunity from the pawn he had previously moved. He only did it so he would have time to force the blush to fade before he would admit his inspiration.

"You like chess, Aka-chin. And you're red. So..."

Akashi chuckled.

"You painted it for me?"

"Well, yes. And because...there is more to it than that."

"Oh?"

"Have you ever played _Oshi_, Aka-chin?"

Akashi paused. He had heard of Oshi before; it was a game that he had always desired to play. The game was old, of course, just as Shogi and Chess were. It was rumored to be a game of the underworld, as the object of the game was to get inside the other player's mind and cause them to become gridlocked. Similar to Shogi, Oshi was played on a nine-by-nine board, but it only had a total of fourteen pieces. Despite searching everywhere, and offering to pay several companies and private businesses to make him the pieces, Akashi had never obtained the game, nor had he ever found an opponent willing to play it. Many of his father's friends had even denied him, stating they wouldn't play the devil's game. His father had eventually asked him to stop asking.

"No." he admitted. "I have never _played_ Oshi before, Atsushi. I have heard of it though."

During the silence Atsushi had produced a small bag of gummy worms from his bag. He tore it open and began to feast.

"Well, I kind of got the inspiration from that game, with one set ivory white and the other –"

"Red." Akashi murmured.

There was a small wave of silence before Akashi looked up, with eyes gleaming.

"How have you heard of Oshi before, Atsushi?"

"I was bored and looked up Shogi online one day."

Akashi smirked. It was something Atsushi would probably do.

"I thought Shintarou-"

"He actually left the room when he saw what I was doing. He said something about the devil's game."

Akashi actually laughed this time.

"Many call it that."

"I thought Shogi was your game though, Aka-chin."

Akashi laughed some more. He knew Atsushi was poking fun at him but he didn't want to become sour over it. It was all in good humour anyhow.

"I'm not the devil, Atsushi."

Atsushi smirked. He waited until they had both settled down.

"Would you like to play it?"

"Oshi?"

"Yeah."

"It's something I'd been trying to do for a while. I just can't seem to find it anywhere."

Atsushi smiled. He opened his mouth, but before he got a chance to say anything, the ringing of the hotel phone caught their attention.

Akashi got up and grabbed the receiver before it cut off.

"Konichiwa; Akashi speaking."

Atsushi looked at the time. The final bell at school had rung nearly half an hour ago. His family would be wondering where he was at this time.

He stood up and began to check his bag. It was considerably lighter, without all the chess pieces and food he had stashed in it. He had a few bags of gummies squished at the bottom, which he pulled out and tried to make look like he had just picked them from the store and tossed them in. He pulled out his music player and began to unwind the headphone cord from around it, tossing the headset around his neck and tucking the device down his shirt so the cord wouldn't dangle in the wind and catch onto anything.

Akashi placed the phone down and came to stand by him.

"Are you going now?"

He fought hard to keep the disappointment from his voice.

"Yeah, I have to. I didn't tell my parents and I ditched class. So I better hurry before they find out."

Akashi scowled, hiding his disappointment with his disapproval.

"You shouldn't have."

"You're my captain. Besides, I don't know when I will see you again."

Akashi was silent as he followed Atsushi to the door. Atsushi unlocked it and opened it, before turning back to face Akashi.

"I have one question." Akashi caught him off guard, hoping to hold off his goodbye.

"Sure."

"You keep in touch with the Miracles. How come you never contacted me?"

Atsushi felt his face turn pink. He recalled how it would soften him and forced himself to clear his throat. It was becoming easier to blend the two Murasakibara's together and form an arrogant, forceful, _lovable_ Atsushi for Akashi. He smiled at the thought.

"To be honest, Aka-chin, I only contacted Kise-chin this morning."

"Oh."

"Besides, I figured you wouldn't reply to me anyways."

Akashi frowned.

"I'm not _that_ heartless." he spat out.

Atsushi only smiled and patted Akashi's head once, mussing his fingers in Akashi's crimson hair.

"I'm text you then, Aka-chin."

Akashi tried not to smile.

Atsushi felt a small stirring in his stomach that had nothing to do with hunger. He bit his lower lip and bent down, the butterflies in his core going wild, and he tilted Akashi's chin up. As his lips drew closer, Akashi turned his head and allowed Atsushi's to peck his cheek only.

"Atsushi," he complained. "It's better if we're just friends."

Atsushi's shoulders slumped but he offered no protest. Trying to shake it off, Atsushi just shrugged and brush his fingers against Akashi's cheek.

"Alright Aka-chin. I'm fine with that."

He turned and began to make his way down the hallway, this time intent on taking the elevator.

Akashi closed the door and tucked the lock back into place. The call from his father had made him jump and pulled him from his thoughts. He hadn't realized that he would become intrigued by his ex and he laughed morbidly at the double meaning of the word.

He began taking off his shirt and paused when he saw the chess board on the table, still in the same position as when Atsushi had lost. Akashi paused, wondering if he should run out and give it back to Atsushi, but he was sure Atsushi would refuse. He had brought it to share with him, inspired by him. It was a gift.

The sudden act of kindness made Akashi's eyes dewy but he refused to cry. He continued peeling off his clothing and letting it drop to wherever on the floor on his way to the bathroom; a habit he had from whenever he felt distracted. The scattered clothing somehow made him feel like he had a way back, a path to follow should he get lost. He also enjoyed the symbolism of them falling where they may. The smallest articles, like his socks, were always closest to the shower, where he felt he was reborn or cleansed. But the larger pieces, the pieces that would make the most sense, were always the first things to lose.

He smiled and turned on the faucet. Atsushi was on his mind and he was sure that he would see him in his dreams that night. He didn't want to admit it, but some feelings had been awoken for the titan. It bothered him, but he wasn't ashamed. He was intrigued by him, confused and slightly obsessed, but all that Atsushi had become to him was a mystery. He delighted in the thought of it.

Murasakibara took the elevator down and was on his board as soon as he hit the sidewalk. After school foot-traffic had picked up and he began skating down the road in an attempt to maneuver quickly.

'_It's better if we're just friends._' Akashi's words cycled in his mind despite the loud music. He could make out the melody of the guitar, crashing with the waves of the bass and the stuttering drums. Once or twice he even caught the sound of the vocalist's voice, fading into and out of the consciousness of his mind. But for the most part, Atsushi was only aware of the band, playing on and on, as Akashi's monotone voice repeated the same lyrics over and over.

He was still pondering what Akashi had meant after he had pulled away from him when he turned onto his own street. The lights were on but Atsushi had no desire to go home. He was thrilled that he got to spend the day with Akashi, but he found no comfort in the endless hours bound up in his house. For once the desire to be like Daiki and play ball on the street courts seemed like an ideal option, rather than have to stay cooped up in his room with his brother. He sighed, knowing his parents would be worried though, and entered the house.

He smiled at the smell coming from the kitchen, someone – namely his mom – was preparing chicken teriyaki. He was planning to sneak to his room, but the meal changed his mind and popped his head into the kitchen.

"Is it ready yet?" he innocently queried.

"When did you get it?"

"Just now." He fished in his bag and produced a bag of gummies. "I had a fix."

"Ahh." His mother smiled at him. "Just a few more minutes, Murasakibara."

Atsushi turned to flee to his room.

"Ah, ah. Not just yet, mister."

Murasakibara turned back, sheepish. Did someone recognize him and ratted him out?

"You have several messages. Apparently your friend Ryouta was trying to contact you all day."

Murasakibara's face brightened.

"Kise-chin called?!"

He checked the message pad near the phone and took the top page with him as he rushed to his room. The number wasn't to Ryouta's mobile phone, so he must have called from his house phone. Atsushi understood the sudden use of his landline; Kise-chin hadn't had his mobile with him to have Atsushi's number.

He sent Kise a text saying he would call him in an hour or so.

The chicken teriyaki was ready by the time he had cleaned up and went back down. Everyone was at their places at the table and he settled himself in quickly so he wouldn't attract any attention. One of his older brothers made a face at him and he tried his best to not let it get the best of him. The twins were in their own world and his eldest brother was deeply engrossed in his engineering textbook at the right hand position to his father. While everyone was busy making small talk around the table, the Atsushi's never felt the need to question each and every kid on their day, his brother leaned over to spill whatever was on his mind.

"Didn't see ya on my way to third period as I always do. What did you do this time to earn a talking to?"

Atsushi froze, not wanting to be caught up in lies.

"I just...needed help."

"Yeah. Right."

"It's none of your business anyways."

His brother rolled his eyes and Murasakibara rushed the rest of his meal, on the claim that he was eager to speak to Kise.

Kise was chirpy as he answered the phone.

"Murasakicci!"

"Kise-chin!"

To any third party listening, their greetings would seem oddly out of place with their matured voices. The conversation was long, passing through the details of Kise's day and their high schools. Atsushi was surprised to find Ryouta had kept his workload light in order to remain on the school team and balance out his homework load. It reminded him of the amount of homework he would have to tackle to stay caught up with classes he missed.

After much prattle, about the guys on their teams and the now ordinary routine they both had to endure, the conversation drew back to their old school and the times they shared that they didn't have to describe every detail for. Murasakibara was glad Kise hadn't been able to see his face. He hadn't seemed to have heard of his attitude lately either, and he hoped that the smile in his voice was audible for his best friend to acknowledge just how much this meant to him. It was a good feeling to have the nostalgic waves wash over them and realize that they were still close to each other. He smiled and found himself cuddled to the phone as he listened to Kise talking about his English class. Suddenly he snickered.

Kise paused.

"What's so funny?" His voice was humourous, he knew Atsushi wasn't being rude.

"You just reminded me of what I did in English the other day. You would have died if you saw me."

"What did you do, Murasakicci?"

"I shouldn't tell you. You'll never forgive me."

"Spill!"

Atsushi chuckled but needed no further prompt.

"Okay, so we're reading Shakespeare because he's just great, right? And so...I was bored, right? And, well, I put my head down to sleep and my teacher called me out."

"Oh?"

"And he asked me why I wasn't participating and I told him I was bored."

"Well, that's blunt."

"Anyways, he told me that I needed to know this stuff for the future, like my job and stuff."

"Don't tell me you gave him the bakery lecture?"

"Naw. I just told him '_why do I need to know Shakespeare when I can shake this?'_ and proceeded to stand on my chair and shake my booty."

Kise's laughter was audible even with the phone held away. It was a moment before he could control himself enough to speak.

"You're new boyfriend is definitely a bad influence on you."

Murasakibara halted, his smile slipping off his face.

"What did you just say?"

"I mean, I can't believe you did that." Kise was saying. He stopped and listened to Atsushi. "Oh, it's just that I ran into that black haired boy that goes to your school. He said he's the Yosen shooting guard or something, number twelve. Anyways, he's this cute American boy with a beauty mark under his eye. He said he's your boyfriend."

Atsushi listened in horrified numbness. "Muro-chin?"

His voice came out like a whisper.

"Yeah, his name was Himuro or something."

"Kise-chin, we're not dating."

"Oh?"

"No, I'm serious. We're not together that way."

The tone of Atsushi's voice was enough to convince Ryouta of his friend's truth.

"Don't panic, Murasakicci. I believe you."

"Does..." Atsushi was having a hard time forming the question on his lips. "Does Aka-chin know about this?"

Ryouta's silence bothered Atsushi. "I don't...think so."

"Does Aka-chin know about this?!"

"Calm down, Murasakicci. I don't think so. Akashicci hasn't been in contact with any of us since he moved."

Murasakibara's mind was on fast-forward. Suddenly everything that had occurred that afternoon clicked into place. Akashi's defensiveness, his rejection, _'it's better if we're just friends'_; Akashi thought he was dating Muro-chin, and that must mean Akashi thought he changed himself for Himuro and not Akashi.

"I've...got to call you back, Kise-chin. I need to call Akashi."

"Oh, uhmm, alright then. Have a good night, Mursaskicci. And please, call me back!"

"Sure."

Atsushi was panicked as he raced down the stairs to put the landline away. He wanted to call Akashi as soon as possible, but he had to check the time: Akashi might have gone to bed.

It was still early enough to Akashi, but the panic was beginning to blur all his thoughts together. What would he say to him? How could he even begin to explain this misunderstanding when he wasn't even aware of how it began?

The cordless home-phone had been thrust back into its cradle when Murasakibara turned and raced right into his older brother. He glared down his long nose at Murasakibara.

"Guess who just called mom on her cell?" he questioned.

Murasakibara was suddenly full of rage. The panic had converted itself into anxiety, and from that to adrenaline. It was coursing through his body now, pumping testosterone at an alarming rate through his veins.

"I don't care." he forced himself to mutter.

His fists shook at his side and he turned to face away from his brother. He closed his eyes and looked down, letting his hair fall over his face. He began counting to ten, trying desperately not to lose his temper. But with each passing minute he was distracted, he would lose time to talk to Akashi and set his record straight.

"Your second period teacher." his brother taunted.

His other siblings were beginning to saunter into the kitchen now, all wanting a bite to eat. His father was not far behind them and Murasakibara's stomach flipped at the thought of committing further unacceptable actions. He wasn't sure how much longer the rage would hold back. He already nearly lost it with Akashi.

Akashi. His eyes flashed to the clock which seemed to have sped up since he had gotten off the phone with Ryouta. It was not a big deal to have to call Akashi tomorrow, but he knew that he couldn't just call and try to explain everything over the phone. No. If his family had found out he ditched class today, he didn't have a hope to ditch it tomorrow. And that meant Akashi would leave Akita before he had a change to fix everything between them.

"Apparently you weren't in class today." his brother sneered, oblivious to the fury rolling off the younger Atsushi.

"And that's probably why I didn't-"

Bang!

All the Atsushi's froze where they were, with the exception of Murasakibara's older brother. He flew to the ground four feet away from where he previously stood, his nose and mouth covered in blood. Murasakibara hadn't meant to hit him, let alone break anything, but the antagonism was beyond his limit and he had lost all control. He stood with his fist drawn back, blood on his knuckles, staring out past his family.

His sister turned and raced from the room, running for their mother. His father had rushed to his brother's side, helping him sit up so the blood wouldn't flow down his throat. It had seemed so sudden that Murasakibara had lost control. None of the Atsushi had been aware of what was being said, and it took all of them by surprise that Murasakibara had suddenly become violent. He was breathing deeply, the sound his fist had made against his brother's face repeating in his mind, the cracking soothing him in a way he was never aware of before.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: The darkness in you brings out the beast in me  
Author: Sing_Sorrow / deeper-cut  
Pairings: Murasakibara X Akashi  
Characters: Murasakibara Atsushi, Akashi, Seijuro, Kise Ryouta, Himuro Tatsuya, Murasakibara's brothers (OCs)  
Ratings: PG13  
Warnings: Violence, Swearing  
Genre: Angst, Romance, High School, Drama, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort,

Summary: Murasakibara's developed a temper since he start at Yosen high. He spits, swears, and ignores those that annoy him, and would rather listen to his music than interact with other human beings. Was losing his best friend, Kise, or his middle school team what shifted his attitude? Or perhaps it was the loss of his red-haired captain, whom his young feelings for had not completely healed.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story, living (or passed) human beings or fictional characters. These events never happened, according to history or as the original author intended them. This is a work of fiction and is not intended to offend. For entertainment purposes only. Thanks.

**Author's Notes:** I'm so sorry this took me so long to update. Term started, so my time to write has really become limited. I'm hoping to wrap this piece and my other current KnB piece "Wild Animals" up shortly, but with the amount of school work, I really hope to end them by December. My OC's have been revealed - well I believe only one has - and I created them strictly for the story; I do not use these character to role play, though they are fully fleshed and probably could be; though I do change the name when I put them in my pieces.

As stated before, violence is no longer hinted at. Thank you for all your kind words and sticking with me. And I'm sorry to leave you with just this chapter. :P You'll see why. ;)

As always, constructive criticism is more than welcome! Reviews are always appreciated and if you enjoyed it, feel free to drop me a comment! :) I don't bite. ;) Also, I don't write many different pairings all the time. If you have any suggestions/request, drop me a line for that too! :)

* * *

** CHAPTER FOUR:**

His eldest brother strode forwards. In spite of all the sudden commotion, he seemed unafraid and came to rest his hands on Murasakibara's shoulders.

Murasakibara flinched and blinked, opening his eyes wide. He had gone into the black and jumped when he felt calm hands grab a hold of him and steer him from the room. He forced Mukkun's head into his armpit, so he wouldn't see the damage he caused, and led him from the room. He took him to stand outside, down their walk, and came to a standstill just outside their fence.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Murasakibara glared, annoyed. He wasn't in the mood for these games with his brother.

"Why do I even-"

His older brother slapped the hand he held up away.

"How many fingers?" he pressed.

"Two."

"Now?"

"Three."

"Now?"

"One. What is the point of this?"

"Because I want to make sure you are in control of your emotions."

Murasakibara rolled his eyes, but he knew his brother was right. Once he was out of control, it wouldn't matter how many fingers his brother held up, all that would matter is that he would be too close to another human.

He turned away, pinching his nose between his thumb and forefinger and focused all his thoughts onto keeping his breathing stable. Slowly, after several minutes, he felt his muscles unwind and his shoulders slumped. When the air began to smell clean, he opened his eyes. His brother hadn't moved.

"Better?"

"Yes."

Since the hostility had left his body, shame came creeping in to take its place. A faint blush streaked across his cheeks and he turned his face down to stare at the lines in the pavement.

"How," his voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "How bad is it?"

"Bad enough."

"Are you...trying to calm me down?"

"More or less."

"Why aren't you yelling at me?"

"Because it wouldn't help."

Murasakibara stared at his brother in admiration. He didn't think twice about his words. It dawned on him that his older brother would have watched him grow to the point he was at now, and he himself knew very little the other way around.

"Fujisakibara,"

"Murasakibara. Don't."

He stayed his tongue. It was very rare for him to speak with his eldest sibling, despite living within the confines.

"Murasakibara. You must not know much about me. You weren't born until much later in my life, and your childhood would be my teenage years.

But you remind me of myself at that age: rebellious, carefree, arrogant. Don't be angry with me, it's the truth. Hear out what I have to say. I know what it's like going through what you're going through. And I know there must be more than just what's being seen at the surface. Why do you think our parents aren't at their wits ends with you? They've gone through worse with me. And that's why I'm pulling you aside now; because I don't want someone else being in my place. I didn't have an older brother giving me this advice. I had an officer of the law.

"What I'm asking you, Murasakibara, is to learn to control that temper of yours. And if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here for you. So if you want to, tell me what's bothering you. You are not alone."

Confusion clouded over Murasakibara's thoughts. It had been a long time since he had paid attention to that many words from anyone in his family. The information given to him seemed to override many of his previous thoughts. He wasn't sure if he should answer or ask one of the questions that formed in his mind.

"Fuiji-chin? How bad were you?"

"Bad enough. I got angry fast; it started out innocent enough. Swearing people and flipping them off. But I didn't learn to control it, and with my temper and huge size, well, it was a recipe for disaster. I didn't mean to hurt people as badly as I did, but they are just _fragile_ to me. When I started breaking bones, well, that's when the police got involved. And that's when I realized how bad it was. I forced myself to listen more, to discover my triggers and walk away from them. And I was very hurt over the death of my twin, so naturally it was my biggest source of discomfort. Which leads us back to you, Murasakibara. What is bothering you? Because in my past experience, it was someone who was causing me pain."

Murasakibara spat and turned to rest his arms on the gate.

"It's Aka-chin." he sighed, giving in. "He's...been on my mind of late."

"I don't mean to pry, but is he only on your mind, little brother?" Fujisakibara waited a small moment, turning to lean gently on the fence as well. "What made you hit our brother then?"

Murasakibara turned pink in the cheeks. "Well, you caught me. I skipped class today to see Aka-chin because he's in town and he was going to rat me out."

"And that's bad not because you ditched school but because that means you would get Akashi in trouble, right?"

"More or less."

Fujisakibara sighed.

"Give me your phone."

"What?"

"I'm going to call Akashi and talk to him. You can't be ditching school for him, but I can see too clearly how messed up you are over him. This." He pointed out Murasakibara's outfit, his black-rimmed eyes, and his glare. "It's because he broke it off with you, didn't he?"

"It was never like that." Murasakibara whisper, feigning innocence.

"I was a teenager too, Murasakibara. And I ran with a crowd worse than a basketball club."

Murasakibara blushed and tried to lie over his lie. "It was a mutual break up."

"Really? Because if you really consented to it, I'd think you would handle yourself better. Don't think we're all blind, Murasakibara. You stopped talking to all of them, even Kise!"

Murasakibara barely noticed the blush on Fuji-chin's cheeks as said Kise's name.

"It's not because of him."

"Damn right it is. You've been ignoring everything and any one that will remind you of him. You even threw away your sister's shirt because it was from Teiko."

Murasakibara blushed. He hadn't been aware that he had been so obvious.

"Was it really easy to pick up?"

Fujisakibara just nodded, folding his arms across his chest.

"Now let me call him; so that we can go inside and you can get up and meet him tomorrow."

"Really? You aren't going to rat me out?"

"I was in your boat at one point, Murasakibara. I know what needs to get done to begin fixing what needs fixing."

Murasakibara blushed. "I should apologize."

"You will."

He handed his phone over with any protest and motioned that he would be waiting further down the street. He didn't want to hear the conversation; it would replay in his mind over and over until the first rays of the sun came up.

His brother caught up to him several minutes later. He handed back the small phone and smiled in the darkness. His hand went to his hair, sweeping it back over his face, and he revealed the short action of placing a cigarette to his lips. He caught himself and put his hand in the pocket.

"Old habits die hard, eh?"

He broke the silence.

"Fuji-chin?"

"Hmm?"

Murasakibara hesitated for a moment and switched his question at the last minute. "You used to smoke?"

He nodded and kicked a stone lightly, watching as it skidded down the road for a moment. "I used to use it as a way to curb my anger. It forced me to breathe, and that calmed me down."

Murasakibara chewed on his answer for a while, trying to recall what he had been thinking of when Fujisakibara had arrived.

"Kise-chin?"

"I'm hoping you won't go there, Mukkun." There was an edge to the reply.

"You singled him out by name."

"Yes?"

"I was just wondering, why is that?"

Fujisakibara blushed and he ran his hand through his hair again. "You are more observant than I give credit for."

"Well?"

"I liked it when you had Kise-chin over. Or when I'd seen him in your games. He's...a good reminder that there is some good in this world."

"You _like_ Kise-chin?"

Fujisakibara blushed and looked away. "I won't deny it."

"You _like_ Kise-chin." Murasakibara muttered in disbelief. "Wow."

"Don't you want to know what Akashi said?"

"Yes!"

Fujisakibara smiled at the eagerness his brother held for the small boy. He pressed his lips together and went on to explain.

"He was quite reluctant to meet you again. I don't know _what_ you did, but he was trying his best to be polite."

"But did he agree?"

"Yes. After some persuasion. He kept saying that it was a good idea if you kept your distance from him. You better not have shown your temper to _him_."

"I didn't, I swear it!" Murasakibara realized he was shouting. He blushed and lowered his voice. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

Fujisakibara raised a hand. "Peace. You're learning control."

Murasakibara smiled. It was easy to be around Fuji-chin; he was not at all as cold as he seemed. He was really down to earth, and Murasakibara was very grateful that he was with him.

"Thank you, Fujisakibara-kun."

Fujisakibara smiled. "It is no problem, little brother."

He put a hand on his head and held his youngest sibling close; it was a special kind of bond that they alone shared in their family. No one else had been so wild or so big. But the thought of having another to be company with was a pleasing thought to him. And he was glad that despite the storm, the calm would soon be coming.

"Maybe I'll invite Kise-chin over sometime?" Murasakibara mumbled into Fuji-chin's shoulder.

"That would be nice." Fuji commented. He knew Murasakibara was only trying to tease him, but he would let it go just this once. He would let him grow a few more inches before he would rough-play with him; it was still too tempting to break a finger or two.

* * *

It was an exhausting night and Murasakibara was glad it was over when he awoke in the morning. Most of his dreams had been plagued by the events after he had entered the house with Fujisakibara. He had headed back into the kitchen where his parents and his brother sat; the latter with an ice pack over much of his face.

He had blushed and swept the hair from his face so they were sure he was being sincere. His eldest brother had stood by his side, putting a hand on his shoulder as he spoke in a rush about how he felt ashamed and sorry for his unforgivable act of violence. His mother had sobbed, his father had glared, but the worst was when his brother had spoke in a strained voice that he forgave him for his actions.

In the end they hugged it out, in the way only two brothers could, and Murasakibara went to bed without any food. His parents were still displeased with him, he felt their disapproval, but they hadn't yelled at him, and he wasn't entirely sure if he would have felt better if they had. His brother stayed in another room that night, and he was sure that if he had to hear him struggling to breathe with his face swollen, he would have puked out of the disgust he held for himself. He wondered what Fuji-chin had told Akashi when he had called to make him agree to seeing him, but he was sure that it was going to be confusing enough to have to explain everything about Muro-chin with him too.

Since his mind wouldn't shut down, he kept his hands busy by creating the vision he had seen in his mind earlier that day. He forced himself to reflect on Kise-chin's life at present and decided he would have to see him eventually anyways. Kise-chin hadn't forgotten him, and he was glad to be back in touch with him. It was early in the morning when he had finally pulled himself away to his pillow, content with his work.

He got out of bed not many hours later, feeling and looking like he had stayed up all night, and rushed to get ready for school. Fujisakibara was still at the kitchen table when he had come down, which surprised Murasakibara; his brother had always left for work early in the morning.

Fujisakibara held a coffee mug up in a greeting and winked, already in on the plan to double back. Murasakibara wasn't sure if his brother would be waiting for him when he returned in twenty minutes.

Murasakibara shouldered his bag and walked down the block. The twins had taken his brother with them, wanting to make sure he was well enough to go out today. Murasakibara desperately hoped so, at least for the morning. He feared that he wouldn't be able to control another close call with his brother; he was too nosey for his own good.

He circled the block this time, not wanting to have to sit still for too long. He impatiently checked his wristwatch for the time over and over, and circled the block once more. He didn't want to run into his parents leaving, but he was sick of being stared at in his uniform. He headed back when he was sure the anxiety was eating a hole in his stomach lining.

His parents had left and so had his brother. The house was empty. A folded piece of paper left on his bed wished him good luck and reminded him to keep his temper in check. It was signed _Fuji_ with a badly drawn smiley face, which made Murasakibara smile, and he put the note under his pillow so he could have a laugh at the face whenever he felt down again.

He switched his bags and his clothes, knowing that he was less suspicious this way, and was on his board again. He was weaving recklessly through the narrow sidewalks, under the store front zonings, and alongside the traffic. The wind blew his hair back, the music was cranked up, and he felt the freedom of just letting everything go. Memories bit at the back of his mind, but as he whizzed past faces and buildings he shook them off easily. He visualized each memory like a candy wrapper and imagined he was dropping them behind him as he raced onwards. It made him smile.

He wrapped his mind around the music; listening to the screams and feeling the blood flying in his veins as he forced his body to balance out the board. The screaming set his mind free, and he suddenly felt like it was freedom he wanted to share with another, to share with Akashi.

He jumped the board onto the sidewalk and flipped the back into his hand as he raced into the entrance of the hotel. His black t-shirt had clung to his body with the wind pressing against it, but now it loosened and hugged him snuggly, being one of his smaller designs. The bright white spider's web extending over his left shoulder was cracked and fading, but he loved the shirt dearly, and in his cockiest manner it showed off his muscles best, with the straight lines dipping in all the right places.

The hotel staff paid no attention to him as he crossed the lobby and took the stairs two at a time to get to Akashi. In his upbeat mood, he visualized himself in shiny, silver armor dashing up the stairs to save a distressed and hostage Akashi. He snickered and slowed down, he didn't want to get all sweaty before he saw Akashi.

Akashi was in the bedroom, brushing his hair with his fingers and trying to spike the red strands in a messy style. He didn't use any product, just water, and the effect was rather striking. Against his pale skin, he had painted a sharp contrast with dark eyeliner and his vivid hair gave him a rag doll look. He sighed and smiled at the mirror, not sure if he would ever be satisfied with the image. When there was a knock at the door, he turned away to answer it and was determined not to worry about the mirror again.

The door swung open and Murasakibara held his breath. He didn't wait to cross over the threshold and wrap his arms around Akashi. The smaller boy was shocked at his bold move, but he wrapped his arms around his former center in surrender. He had planned to maintain a distance between the pair of them, to make it clear that they wouldn't be touching, but with Murasakibara's arrogant attitude there was little he could do to oppose him.

The two fit together like puzzle pieces and it was a moment before Murasakibara released Akashi from his grip. The first words out of Atsushi's mouth soured Akashi's response.

"I'm so sorry, Aka-chin!"

Without waiting for an explanation, Akashi took advantage of Atsushi's face being so close to his and smacked him hard, his palm stingy from the impact.

Murasakibara's face stayed turned. He breathed in through his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. The note on his bed flashed before his eyes and he fought to stay calm. He had been happy and now he was ready to tear Akashi's throat out. The testosterone in his body raged suddenly, spiking high and soaring above logic. He forced himself to swallow and shook his head.

Akashi stepped back. He hadn't realized his actions would prompt a physical response. He watched as Murasakibara's hands clenched into fists and his shoulders shook.

It was some time before Atsushi looked at him, his temper once more under control.

"Sorry about that too."

"Yeah. So am I."

"What was that for?"

Akashi smiled. "You ruined the moment."

Murasakibara smiled and then started laughing. "I suppose I did. Guess I deserved that."

They both smiled and then Akashi turned and led them to the table. Murasakibara closed the door and took the same seat he sat in yesterday. His eyes ran up and down Akashi's body and he bit his bottom lip. Perhaps it was the lyrics in his music, or perhaps it was because he was no longer the shy 'Bara Akashi had once known, but he found Akashi's small body rather sexy now. His eyes drank in his slender waist and long limbs in quiet appreciation before he hurried to hide the lust from his eyes.

Instead, he fished in his bag to give himself some time to cover his mood. He pulled out a small velvet bag and handed it to Akashi.

"Here."

Akashi took the bag curiously and shook the contents out carefully. Inside were four Japanese towers, two inches tall. Alongside them were four identical towers an inch tall. And six small squares with kanji scribed on them. Akashi starred at the intricately designed pieces of wood; half painted blood red and the other half ivory white.

"Oshi pieces?"

Murasakibara nodded and smiled. "Do you like them?"

"Yes." Akashi touched each piece, picking them up like delicate flower heads. "They're beautiful, Murasakibara. Thank you."

Murasakibara blushed and nodded. "My pleasure."

Akashi set them up on the board in their home places. The pair stared at the board for a moment before Murasakibara cleared his throat.

"Akashi. I wanted to talk to you-"

Akashi held up a hand.

"Hang on."

He reached out and moved a medium tower two squares left. "Your turn."

Murasakibara smiled. He had caught Akashi's attention in his gift and this was something he could live with. For now.

Acting out with the small instructions they found on the internet, the pair tried out their new game for several hours. Akashi had won every game, though they weren't sure which ones counted as official wins yet. Akashi decided he would search for a book or manual that would have official rules in them that they could judge by. For the most part they only moved the towers in one direction the number of spaces they were each permitted, until they had to forfeit the piece off the board. Murasakibara chuckled as they reached their third stalemate.

"Looks like I'm better at this than Shogi." he grinned.

"It must be the physics." Akashi murmured, trying to find a way out of the gridlock.

He scowled when he found no way out and waved his hand.

"Reset this."

Murasakibara pouted. "I'm hungry, Aka-chin."

Akashi smiled and looked at the clock.

"It is about lunchtime." He stared at the lilac-haired man across the table from him. "How about we go out to lunch?"

Murasakibara nodded eagerly, his hair whipping about his face.

Akashi smiled. It felt strangely good to be around his ex, though he was sure that it was because Atsushi had changed his attitude. He wondered if he would get him in trouble, if he was to be sighted outside of school.

Akashi wrapped a red blazer around his shoulders, not bothering to put his arms through, and they left the hotel's room. Atsushi bit his tongue, reaching out to hold Akashi's hand in his. Akashi shook Atsushi off, and put his hands in his pants pockets. He could tell it angered Atsushi, but he knew it wouldn't trigger him as the slap had.

"What do you want to eat, Aka-chin?"

"Oh, I'm not sure. You don't remember my tastes, Atsushi?"

" 'A place where the dessert is the best part of the menu.' " Atsushi snickered, quoting Akashi from their first dinner out. It pleased him that Akashi had the same sweet tooth he had.

Akashi smirked and they took the stairs, walking down them at a pace that would let their footsteps ring out. They walked out of the hotel and down the road, to where Atsushi knew there was a great dessert parlour.

Akashi felt paranoid as they walked down the road, fearing that someone would pull on Atsushi's sleeve and accuse him of skipping out. Atsushi was on his skateboard, but for once he was only coasting slowly. Akashi had never seen him boarding, and it amused him to see a man so tall be so fearless on such a deathtrap. Akashi watched as he glided, like a courageous warrior, alongside him. He wondered how Atsushi would appear, flying down the streets with his lavender hair playing in the wind from his speed. To Akashi's relief they entered the restaurant without disturbance.

Murasakibara smiled and reached for Akashi's hand on the tabletop. Akashi pulled away, so that only their fingertips were touching. His perfectly filed nails grazed gently over Murasakibara's knuckles for a moment before he rested his fingers on the table and sighed.

"Aka-chin."

"Atsushi. Don't do this."

Murasakibara frowned. Their waiter came over then and Akashi flashed him a dazzling smile. Murasakibara felt nausea build in his stomach and acid swell between his lips. He wanted to get up and smack the waiter and send him flying as far as physically possible from Akashi. It wasn't fair that he got that smile from Akashi, that look that Akashi used to give him. He wanted that smile from Akashi. He wanted it badly.

"I would love to have the chocolate fudge pie, topped with raspberries please." Akashi flirted.

Atsushi hid his shaking hands under the table. He forced himself to spit out an order, determined not to let the waiter get to him. He could read into the stranger's eyes as he turned and left the table, addressing Akashi only when he replied, "I'll be right back."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed in and out. His brother said this would get easier; perhaps it would take him a long time.

Akashi waited for him to clear his head, but by that time the waiter was back and he was angry again. He glared at his retreating back, trying his hardest to keep his temper in check enough to keep his dessert on the table.

Akashi ate a small forkful and smiled sweetly as Atsushi. It pissed him off that he only was getting the decent side of Akashi, the sweet little side he reserved for teachers and parents. He rolled his eyes and took a huge bite out of his plate.

Akashi giggled and reached forward to finger the icing he smeared on his lips. He held his finger out to Atsushi for him to lick, and when he failed to respond, stuck the finger in his own mouth and licked the icing off himself. Atsushi felt his stomach tighten for another reason and his crotch filled with heat. He wanted nothing more than to throw the table between them out of the way. Or better, pin Akashi against it.

Akashi smiled sweetly again and Atsushi's heart melted into a puddle of heat. He wasn't over Akashi, he never was and he probably never will be. It was foolish for him to think that he could build a brick wall around his heart and bury these emotions. It was folly to even try.

Akashi kept him speechless until they were done their dessert. Because it was a good day out, Akashi proposed that they walk around a park and then head back. Atsushi agreed, wanting nothing more than to spend more time with Akashi. A small voice at the back of his mind screamed at him to talk to Akashi before they ran out of time together. He wasn't sure how keen Akashi was on the idea of long-distance, but he would rather have his name down and his spot taken, rather than risk someone else fulfilling it.

Without giving Akashi a chance to avoid him, he took his hand in his own as they stepped out of the restaurant. His long fingers wrapped around Akashi's slender ones, and his warmed his pale hand. Akashi blushed and mumbled his name, hoping in vain it would be a worthy protest, but Atsushi didn't bother to let go. He wanted to clear things up with Akashi, before they could get any more out of hand.

They stepped out of the restaurant and he held Akashi's hand in one of his, and his skateboard in the other. The world around them seemed brighter, or perhaps Murasakibara's appreciation had changed for it since Akashi was with him. He hadn't been able to bring up the subject in the restaurant, so he heaved a sighed and looked down at the red-haired boy beside him.

"Aka-chin?"

"Yes, Atsushi?"

"I-I want to talk to you about Teiko."

Akashi's smile faltered but he put on a brave face. His voice was rough. "What about Teiko?"

"Us at Teiko."

Akashi sucked in a breath and heaved a sigh. "You know, Atsushi, I don't think that is such a good idea."

Murasakibara felt like they were back in the locker room, after everyone had left. Akashi would have been putting his clean long-sleeve shirt on after the shower – the light grey one he wore to go home. It fit him snuggly and made it harder for Murasakibara to get his words out then as well. He felt the man in him slipping down into the child he once was.

Atsushi shook his head and steeled his heart with the armour he had acquired since starting Yosen. He was sick of girls throwing themselves at him, hoping that their large chests or long curls would be enough to satisfy him into a relationship. He was sick of his team screaming at him to get his attitude in check and his head in the game. And he was sick to the point of disgust with Himuro telling stories and starting rumours behind his back, just because he found out that Atsushi wasn't interested in women. He rolled his lavender eyes and gave Akashi's hand a little tug, knowing from experience just how much force to use to not hurt the smaller boy. Akashi stopped and turned, staring into Atsushi's eyes as they stood frozen on the street.

"I _need_ to talk to you about it. Because whatever you're hearing, whatever you've been told, it's wrong!"

Murasakibara spoke through gritted teeth. He wanted nothing more than to wrap Akashi up in his arms and kiss him right then and there.

Akashi seemed prepared for this type of response. His eyes didn't move from Atsushi's. "Atsushi, it's alright. We both moved on, right? You don't need to pretend or try to spare my feelings."

Atsushi's eyes welled with tears and shook his head in disbelief. He wanted to slap Akashi hard and watch his face turn sharply. He wanted to make him feel the pain that his words had cut into Atsushi's heart. But he forced his shaking hands to reside safely in his pockets. If he were to harm Akashi, in any way, it was all over. His love, his life, it would all be forfeit.

He breathed in his nose and out his mouth very meaningfully and when it didn't help shake off the shivers, he held his hair back from his face and walked in a small circle. He tried to force back the tears and bit his lip, but all he managed to hold back was his sobs. Several crows bounced away from around them, leaving their food behind as they sensed the tension building.

Akashi watched Atsushi's reaction with curiosity. He wondered why the bigger man was reacting so strangely, but he didn't prompt for reasoning.

Atsushi choked a breath and let his hair fall into his face, his long arms wrapping around himself as if to hold himself together.

"You...you have a...a boyfriend, Aka-chin?"

Akashi smiled sweetly and opened his mouth. He could open his mouth and lie to Atsushi, or he could tell him the truth. He wasn't sure which option Atsushi wanted to hear more: the one that would do him good in the long run or the one that would put his mind to ease right now.

He was about to answer when a pale hand grabbed Atsushi's shoulder from behind.

"Murasakibara, you shouldn't be here with that boy."

The voice was unfamiliar to Akashi but caused Atsushi's vision to flash red. He closed his eyes and began counting to ten. He knew he was dangerously close to going into the black and hurting someone again: mainly because the one person he would gladly blame for this whole situation was now standing right behind him.

"What?" he hissed. "Are you doing here, Muro-chin?"

Akashi took a step back from the newcomer and his ex. He didn't like the way their conversation had turned.

A boy with black hair combed over one eye and startling blue eyes clung to Murasakibara's back. He was taller than Akashi by a few inches, and was cute beyond all reasons. Akashi felt the competition between them immediately. He rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest, determined to play it cool and intimidate the boy.

Murasakibara shook the boy off and turned to face him. "Beat it, Muro-chin. You're not wanted here."

He hated being rude to his teammate and friend, but Himuro had started it, staking a false claim.

"You shouldn't have ditched class, Murasakibara. The captain's mad at you." the blue-eyed boy taunted. "Besides, you missed practice."

Murasakibara got close to Himuro, so that his lips where just inches from his face. "I don't need you as a _babysitter_, Muro-chin. So scram!"

Akashi felt a thrill of adrenaline course through his body as he watch Murasakibara lash out at Himuro. He was glad he was angry with him, but he wasn't sure if it was because his appearance put Atsushi in an awkward situation or not.

"Why are you hanging out with this boy anyways? He's not anything to you anymore."

"Watch your fucking words, Himuro."

Murasakibara turned around and began walking towards Akashi. He was determined to simply walk away and continue his conversation with Akashi elsewhere, but Himuro reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Don't. Let's just go back now. He's only going to cause you trouble."

"You're the one causing me trouble, Himuro."

"Murasakibara, please. Don't do this to me." The boy's blue eyes turned pleading. "You know how much I like you."

Murasakibara raised his fist and stuck out his middle finger at Himuro. "I don't care about that."

Himuro's face contorted with anger and he turned his gaze to glare at Akashi. "Don't be unfair, Murasakibara. What does he have that I don't? He probably won't even suck you off."

"Just shut your fucking mouth, Himuro. Leave Akashi alone." Murasakibara uttered. He turned to face Himuro, who reached out at that moment and slapped him hard across the face.

Murasakibara snapped. He turned and grabbed Himuro by the throat and slammed him up against the wall of a store.

Akashi took a step back. There was a murderous glint in Atsushi's eyes he hadn't noticed before.

"So we're gonna fight over this boy? Is that how it is?" Himuro glared at Akashi over Murasakibara's shoulder. He struggled to get the giant's hand away from his throat and gasped for breath. Murasakibara glared at him, watching as the life slowly drained from his eyes, before releasing him and letting him fall to the ground.

"Stay the fuck away from." He muttered.

Murasakibara turned and began to walk towards Akashi and stopped when he noticed the fear in Akashi's eyes. He had slapped Murasakibara this morning. As he stared at the gasping Himuro picking himself up off the street, he wondered how narrowly had he missed being crushed the same way.

Murasakibara looked over his shoulder at Himuro and back to Akashi. He put both hands up, palms out, and began taking small steps closer.

"I won't hurt you Aka-chin. You don't need to be scared."

"Stay away from me." Akashi's voice was barely a whisper. He found himself taking a step back, one after the other.

Himuro reached out and tugged on Murasakibara's hand.

"Come home with me, Atsushi."

Murasakibara's face distorted in pain. He reached out to Akashi.

"Please, don't go Aka-chin. I-I only just got you back."

Himuro tugged on Atsushi's arm and Akashi's eyes filled with pain. He turned and began running, tears streaming down his face. He didn't know where he was headed, but his head ached with pressure of their conversation and the sudden argument.

Murasakibara watched him run and made to take after him. He flipped his board to the ground and had one foot on it, when Himuro's constant tugging pulled him back.

"Please." Himuro begged. "Stay with me."

Murasakibara screamed and pulled his arm out of Himuro's grip. He didn't care if he hurt him, and so he didn't flinch when his arm made contact with something weighty. There was a loud, choked off gurgle and Murasakibara's eyes went wide. He looked to find Himuro staring at him in shock. The pair of them glared at each other and then looked down to find the body of bloody crow lying against the pavement.


End file.
